Armed raiders who dressed in burkas to target Selfridges in central London made off with £1million worth of luxury watches, police said today.

The six-strong gang used the religious dress to disguise themselves and the tools they were carrying during Thursday evening's raid, police said.

Police today charged a 19-year-old man with offences in relation to the daring robbery, while another suspect remains in hospital.

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Smash and grab: An eyewitness films one of the burka-clad robbers fleeing Selfridges

Caught on camera: This cameraphone video shows one of the robbers running for the exit

Escape: The burka-clad raider clutches what appears to be an axe while fleeing the scene

Video footage of the raid taken by an eyewitness shows how the axe and sledge hammer-wielding group waited for a pre-arranged moment to smash glass cabinets and stuff holdalls with watches.

The Metropolitan Police today said the value of the stolen goods was as much as £1million.

Stunned witnesses in Oxford Street, in the capital's busiest shopping district, watched as the gang met accomplices outside in getaway vehicles believed to be a moped, two motorbikes and a black BMW estate.

Two suspects were arrested after falling off a moped when it crashed nearby and members of the public stopped them from leaving.

An eyewitness told MailOnline of the dramatic moment he saw the armed robbers as they carried out their daring smash-and-grab raid.

Khalid Samata said he heard an enormous bang and turned his camera phone on to video figures wearing Islamic dress axing their way into display cabinets at Selfridges department store in central London.

Mr Khalid, 30, said: 'I heard two loud bangs. The first sounded like someone had fallen from the first floor through a display cabinet. The second sounded more like a gunshot.

'Everyone started screaming and running away. I knew it was a robbery when I looked down from the floor above and saw people breaking into the cabinets.

Treatment: Police, medics and passers-by stand around a man who came off a moped on a street corner in central London who, along with another man, was apprehended by police shortly after a raid at Selfridges

Response: The court heard how getaway drivers crashed and were apprehended

Mr Khalid, who works in the French consulate and was shopping with his girlfriend and friend, added: 'I was shocked when I realised they were all wearing burkas.

'The robbers seemed very professional. They did not say a word to each other. They were silent.

'I turned my camera on and managed to film some of the people in burkas running out of the store.'

Two suspected robbers were seized by passers-by after the raid, yesterday evening.

The men were pinned down by members of the public after their moped slipped over while turning a corner at speed in central London.

Witnesses said the suspects dropped a duffle bag containing several watches that spilled out onto the street.

The men, one dressed in a burka and the other wearing a motorbike helmet, were held down until armed police arrived soon afterwards and arrested them.

The suspects were seized about 400 yards from the world-famous Selfridges department store, a few minutes after cases were smashed on its ground floor.

Aftermath: Paramedics treat one of the suspected robbers, next to a crashed scooter, who took part in a smash and grab on Selfridges department store in central London

Cordoned off: The men, one wearing a burka and the other a motorbike helmet, were held down until armed police arrived soon afterwards and arrested them

Law student Mohammed Hussein, 29, was today hailed a hero after dashing out of the Italian pizzeria where he works and pinning the suspected thief to the ground until armed police arrived.

Last night, Mr Hussein said he simply acted on instinct and did what ‘any human being would do’.

Mr Hussein said: ‘I saw a bike with two people on it skid and crash.

'The man who’d been riding the scooter called out, “Help my wife!” But I could tell straight away she wasn’t a woman.

‘I shouted for someone to call the police and the rider started running away.

‘I chased him for 60 or 70 metres then pinned him to the floor and pulled his helmet off. He was wearing a burka underneath and I could only see his eyes.

‘A bouncer from a pub came over to help. The robber tried to bite us and was shouting and swearing. I pulled his arms behind his back as he fought to try and stand up.

‘Police came after about ten minutes.’

Asked if he was a hero, Mr Hussein laughed and said: ‘I didn’t plan on doing anything. I just did what anyone else would have done. Anyway, I wasn’t worried – I’ve done boxing.’

Mr Hussein, of Ealing, West London, said he had been working at the ICCo Pizzeria for about five months to help pay his tuition fees. He is studying a masters in international business law at the University of West London.

Chef Yassin Eleora, 29, who works with Mr Hussein at ICCo pizzeria, dashed outside after hearing a loud crash.

He said: 'I saw people running into the road, there was a motorbike lying in the road and two people with black motorbike helmets were lying nearby. One of them was wearing a burka.

'One of the men got up and began running away up the street but Mohammed ran after him.

'Mohammed tried to grab him but the man punched him and started wrestling him trying to get free.

'But Mohammed is really strong and he managed to keep hold of him, wrestled him to the floor and pulled his motorbike helmet of.

'He is a big guy, it was unlucky for that man that Mohammed was there.

'He is a real hero - he put himself in danger to stop those guys.

'I spoke to Mohammed afterwards, he said he wasn't scared. I told him he could have got hurt but he said instinct just took over.'

Destruction: A man looks at the damage left after an armed robbery at Selfridges on Oxford Street, London

Evidence: A forensic officer photographs the wreckage in Selfridges left after an armed robbery

Witness Chloe Vaidya, 27, who was with a friend in a nearby pub, said: 'We heard people shouting and running towards the moped.

'One of the men who was next to the bike looked to have a broken leg. Further up the street was another man who was being sat on.'

‘At first I thought it was a shot, a spray of glass shattering, breaking – we heard that and people were just running about.

‘I saw a staff member lying on the ground and then we saw the men running, trying to get away. That all happened in under a minute.'

Passersby reported seeing two axes left discarded at the scene soon after the attack, which occurred half an hour before the Oxford Street store was due to close.

Nobody was hurt in the raid and the police quashed rumours that guns had been fired.

Matthew Carrozo, 28, saw the moped fall on the corner of Charlotte Street and Goodge Street.

He said: ‘It just came round the corner and slipped on a drain cover. The guy in the front was wearing a motorcycle helmet and the person on the back was wearing a burka.

‘They dropped a duffle bag and six or seven watches fell out - there seemed to be at least 30 more inside.

Mr Carrozo, a digital marketing manager, added: ‘As soon as they hit the ground someone ran out of a restaurant and pinned them down - and then other people on the pavement joined him.

‘The driver wriggled free and started running down Charlotte Street but he was caught and pinned down again. It was quite a struggle.’

Armed police arrived soon afterwards and cuffed the man in the motorcycle helmet before taking him away in a police van.

Paramedics treated the man in the burka for possible neck injuries before taking him away, accompanied by police.

Broken glass: The scene of a smash and grab robbery in Selfridges on Oxford Street in central London

A twitter picture of two large yellow handled axes spotted near the shop after the incident

Police have praised the have-a-go heroes who tackled the burka-clad gang as they fled.

DCI Andy Noyes, from the Flying Squad, said: 'We are at an early stage in our investigation, but I would like to hear from anyone who was on Oxford Street last night or nearby who may have seen the robbery or the men making their escape.

'This was a brazen robbery, and appears to have been well planned and thought through. Fortunately no one was injured. The store was very busy and this will have been a shocking thing for people to witness.

'I'd like to thank those members of the public who stepped in and detained our two suspects. Their quick thinking and brave actions have helped our investigation.'

Asked about witness reports that the offenders had disguised themselves as rich Arab women with designer handbags, Mr Noyes said it was unclear whether this was the case or whether they were simply the large holdalls they used to take away the watches.

A spokesman for Selfridges said it was not yet known exactly what had been stolen. She added that the store had been open for business as usual today.

Officers were yesterday in the process of interviewing witnesses to the robbery and seizing CCTV. Additional police were deployed in the area of Oxford Street.

Detectives asked to hear from anyone who was in or around Selfridges on Thursda who witnessed the robbery - which they described as taking 'planning and preparation' - or may have seen the men in the time running up to the robbery or as they made their escape.

Guns: Police officers at the scene of a smash and grab robbery in Selfridges on Oxford Street in central London

Unharmed: Nobody was hurt in the raid last night and the police quashed rumours that guns had been fired

Scotland Yard last night confirmed that two men were arrested after falling from a motorcycle.

A spokesman said: ‘The gang, armed with axes, smashed cabinets before making off with items from the shop. It is not currently known how many people were involved.

‘Two of the suspects came off their moped in nearby Goodge Street. Members of the public then prevented them from leaving before officers arrived and arrested the men.

‘One of the men has been taken to hospital, we await an update on his condition. The second man is currently in custody.

'Detectives from Flying Squad are investigating. Armed officers attended. No shots were fired.’

Some reports circulating on social media last night suggested up to 10 people were involved in the raid.

Onlookers also posted photographs of the scene on Twitter, with one picture showing tiny pieces of broken glass from show cabinets that were shattered all over the floor.

Police said only two were arrested, and added: ‘It is not currently known how many people were involved.’

Onlookers: A crowd at the scene of a smash and grab robbery in Selfridges on Oxford Street in central London

Police on scene: Officers are seen in the iconic London department store

Targeted: The gang of armed robbers targeted Selfridges Department Store on Oxford Street in June 2013

Selfridges’ official Twitter account - which has the strapline ‘There’s always something extraordinary going on at Selfridges...’ - reassured customers.

The firm posted a message which said: ‘Hi, we just want to let you know that everyone is safe and the police are investigating. We will update you once we have more information.’

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We sent an ambulance crew and a single responder in a car to the scene.

'Our staff were redirected by police to Goodge Street. They treated a man - reported to be in his 20s - for leg and pelvic injuries. He was taken to hospital as a priority.’

Anyone with any information is asked to call Crimestoppers, which can be done anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Axe-wielding burka gang who targeted Selfridge's with daring smash and grab raid made off with £1MILLION in designer watches, police say